Finding enough people to participate in clinical trials is a common issue. Keeping the patients at the forefront of clinical trial marketing can be a very effective way to solve this problem. Understanding the patients’ experiences and what they want and need in research ( also known as the patient-centric approach) is vital to encouraging interest and involvement in clinical research.
Knowing what drives patients to participate in clinical trials and what might deter them makes it possible to design digital ads for clinical trials that speak directly to their interests. We surveyed 145 Antidote patients who were either involved in clinical trials or interested in participating. Below, we share the valuable lessons we learned.
Patient perspective on medical research
Patients have a generous spirit. One-third of patients (33%) said that “driving forward medical research to benefit others who suffer from my condition” is the most important reason for taking part in clinical trials. “…knowing I’ve made a difference to someone’s life – now that’s cool” is the perfect way to describe this attitude.
Patients are interested in better medication and more education about their condition. After driving forward research, “gaining access” to new treatments (21%) and learning more about my condition (12%) were cited as the top two reasons to participate. Patients understand that one of the benefits of taking part in a clinical study is access to new treatments.
Patients worry about safety. According to our survey, when asked why they would not participate in a clinical trial, their top answer was “worrying whether the drug or treatment being tested is safe.” Clinical trials are not without their unknowns, particularly when patients don’t know what standard of care and placebo procedures are. This can be a concern and should be addressed.
Create patient-centric recruitment strategies for clinical trials
Understanding the primary drivers of patients makes it easier to create outreach, which puts the patient at the forefront. In outreach, addressing both the positives as well as the negatives will help patients understand whether a trial would be a good match for them. Here are some tips to help you:
Give as much information about the treatment as you can. While patients are interested in research because they want to help, they also worry about their safety. It may be useful to emphasize the positive impact that driving medical research can have, as well as include information about the treatment under study, whether a placebo is being used, and the phase of the trial.
Include patient testimonials. Include patient stories to help patients visualize themselves taking part in a clinical study. Patients who have previously volunteered for research are often now advocates and are willing to share their stories. Connecting these individuals to a platform is a powerful tool to show prospective participants the impact they can have.
Keep outreach language simple. Consider the user-friendliness and readability of all study collateral and outreach materials, especially when 36% of Americans have low health literacy. Clear imagery, infographics, and simple language can have a positive impact on how patients perceive and interact with materials. This will ensure that everyone who can benefit from clinical trials can enroll.